Domestic Violence Shelter Closed?!!!

Today I learned the news that a women’s shelter in Aurora, IL has now officially closed its doors!  Why? Because the state of Illinois is in a terrible state!   It can’t pay its bills! Seriously folks as of Wednesday this shelter that is the final resting place of those women, most of them with children in tow, who are crying out for help!

For those women who finally bring themselves to an actual shelter for help, it will no longer be available. Women that have of recent  came for assistance have not only been turned away, they were sent to either one or two neighboring states!

On Wednesday a reporter named Margaret Ramirez did a piece on this very shelter for the Chicago Tribune Newspaper, and in it she reported that as late as Wednesday the shelter turned away three women and five children! That is three women and five children too many! She also stated that Kristin Good, a prevention educator, that the shelter helped four hundred women and children last year. They not only provided advice and counseling, they gave them a home! She said they also fielded more than 18,000 calls to the federally funded hot line.

This agency can continue to run the hot line, but the shelter for those unfortunate women will no longer be able to continue. The Mutual Ground Center is non-profit social service agency that will assist those that are victims of domestic violence and sexual assault.

I ask you Governor Quinn how can you let this happen? I know that you are facing a grudge match with those legislative leaders who have approved to reduce the availability of funds. I am not sure I want to raise everyones’ taxes to do this, but I know that I have a hard time sleeping if I think that an abused and/or raped woman with the babes in tow are out there!

I think you and the State of Illinois owe these people some kind of respect after all they have been abused once and now the state goes ahead and abuses them again! It is so wrong in so many ways! Have a heart legislative leaders, why won’t you cut the fat from the top of the heap and help out all of those who really, really need it? We’d be a great state if it was known that we take care of our own and try to end the cycle of abuse!  Showing those little ones that it is not ok to treat women this way might save us money as a state in the end when less services are needed!

Mutual ground needs to be on mutual ground!

Just my thoughts, just my opinions, and always in a conversationalTone.

Mary Caliendo